January 24, 2009

An architectural agenda for Wrigley Field: More graceful evolution

Friends have been calling me and teasingly asking for box seats now that the Ricketts family has emerged as the likely new owner of the Cubs. The Ricketts, they know, are my neighbors in Wilmette.

But for me, as the Tribune’s architecture critic, this is a serious matter. My neighbor Tom Ricketts may soon hold the deed to one of the nation’s most beloved landmarks, Wrigley Field, the 95-year-old dowager queen of American ballparks. And Wrigley is a building whose future I cannot not write about.

Here’s how I’ll deal with a situation some may see as a conflict of interests: I plan to write about the new Cubs owners as I would any team owner or real estate developer—respectfully but aggressively.

Some media bomb-throwers are suggesting the Cubs tear down Wrigley, save for the outfield bleachers, the ivy-covered outfield walls and the center-field scoreboard. But erecting a faux Wrigley makes no sense. It won’t fly legally—the City of Chicago in 2004 declared the ballpark a protected landmark—and it’s also likely to be a losing business proposition.

Millions are drawn to Wrigley because it offers what the bloated retro ballparks of today strain to imitate: the authenticity that only decades of history can confer as well as a sense of being remarkably close to the game.

In an increasingly generic world, Wrigley is the real thing. And the real thing sells. Just look at the Boston Red Sox, who ditched a plan to build a faux Fenway Park, then upgraded their ancient home, and went on to win two World Series.

Balance Wrigley’s past and future

If the bomb-throwers who want to raze Wrigley are wrong, so are the zealots who want to freeze it in time. In truth, Wrigley has gracefully evolved over the decades, from the original single-deck structure that opened in 1914 to the handsome bleacher expansion of 2006. The key is to balance the ballpark’s identity as a baseball shrine and as a money machine. And that will require the skill of architects like John Vinci, the longtime Chicago historic preservationist who has done several Wrigley projects for Tribune Co.

Wrigley may well needed upgraded skyboxes, more skyboxes than it has now and other fan-friendly amenities, Vinci said Friday. The key is coming up with a plan rather than doing things piecemeal. “You want to make it a better place without looking shoddy,” he said.

Stop creeping commercialism and change the facade

Speaking of shoddy, the Ricketts would be smart to halt (or roll back) the spread of advertising around the playing field--specifically, the yellow CBOE stickers on the brick wall or the white Under Armour logos on the outfield doors in left- and right-center fields.

Perhaps the souring economy will take care of these small, but corrosive, intrusions on Wrigley’s park-like atmosphere. As the Tribune reported Friday, Under Armour and the Cubs are engaged in a legal battle over the sponsorship deal.

Here’s another idea: Take away the ugly concrete panels and chain link on Wrigley’s facade. Replace them with historically-accurate grillwork and clay-tile roofs.

Fix or replicate the upper deck grandstand

Questions have swirled around the structural stability of Wrigley’s steel-framed grandstand since 2004, when pieces of concrete fell into lower deck seats, forcing the Cubs to install safety nets. Some fans dream of tearing down the grandstand. But that is only likely if a new grandstand essentially replicates the existing one.

The Wrigley landmark law “did not envision that the upper deck would need to be replaced,” Brian Goeken, the city’s landmarks chief, wrote in an email Friday. “If for some reason the upper deck did have to be reconstructed, it would generally need to match the historic design and configuration” of the original.

Build the “triangle building”

For years now, the Cubs have proposed constructing a three-sided building along Clark Street, just west of Wrigley, that would house restaurants, a Hall of Fame and workout facilities for the players (plans for parking have been abandoned). The Ricketts should get this done—and fast. The new building would simultaneously expand Wrigley and its opportunities to generate revenue.

There are other pluses. The triangle building would make it easier for upper-deck fans to exit after games. It would offer fans more shopping and dining opportunities. And it would present this part of Wrigleyville with something a whole lot better than what’s there now: A scruffy parking lot.

You have some great ideas here....love the triangle building idea. That parking lot is scruffy. My son lives about a mile to the west and we walk around Wrigley a lot...even in off season. The area could use some revitalization like this.

You hear a lot of folks talk about how great Wrigley is and who extol its historic value but rarely do folks discuss its architectural virtues. Thanks for what seems to be the start of that public discussion. I don’t believe that Wrigley has the same kind of immediate exterior appeal that say Ebbet’s, Comiskey or any of the other brick beauties had but there was an openness that was both appealing and graceful. It would be great if it was restored. I welcome the day when we can say goodbye to the concrete panels and chain link and see some of the old architectural elements returned.

I believe that they need to tear the internal areas and the grandstand areas down and keep the bleacher area intact because that is what makes the field. The new grandstand area can be rebuilt in a way that allows for more modern facilities internally for the players and the fans but still keep the old time feel of the ballpark. Camden Yards is a great example of that.

What a grand place this is- what most ppl. do not realize is it's almost always been updated as much as is practical- the once controversial lights look like they were always there & the falling concrete from the upper deck is from a 1970's renovation (all those stomping feet for "Let's go Cubs!") took their toll I'm thinking... Only by the grace of God & the very odd Wrigley family do we still have this green Cathredal- Their personal bldgs. were wrecks, but the commercial structures were lovingly maintained! The terra-cotta & brass on the bldg. above Billy Goat's Tavern (gotta love the irony there) are still stunning & the ballpark the Trib wound up with were as super as the Wrigley car collection. I reckon it's all up to what you value then...